Xi Meets with UN Chief in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Beijing on April 8. Xi stressed that it is a basic policy of Chinas diplomacy to safeguard the UNs authority and status， and support the world body to play its role in global governance. China holds that all nations， big or small， are equal， and major countries should take proper responsibilities， said Xi.

Regarding the new trends and changes of global situation， Xi remarked that the challenges in various forms ultimately root in the deficiency of governance system and capacity. To resolve the challenges， we need to consistently improve global governance. To this end， the Chinese government is carrying forward the five-sphere integrated plan to promote coordinated economic， political， cultural， social， and ecological advancement， which also constitutes the main content of building a community of a shared future for humankind.

Antonio Guterres said the peace and development issues that the world faces need global cooperation， which calls for strengthening the role of multilateral organizations. He expressed appreciation for Chinas contribution to the UN and its key role in multilateral organiza- tions. China has， the UN chief noted， become the most important pillar for multilateralism and an indispensable， trustworthy force to boost world peace and development. Guterres also hailed Chinas proposal of building a community of a shared future for mankind and implementing the Belt and Road Initiative， so as to bring prosperity to all countries.

Ambassador Zhang Ming， head of the Chinese mission to the EU， published an article on Politico website on April 4， titled“China and the EU Have a Joint Responsibility to Uphold the Rules-Based Multilateral Trade Order.”

“In a world of great uncertainties， a stable China-EU relationship is an invaluable asset. China and the EU， as major members of the WTO and each others comprehensive strategic partner， should take a clear stance against protectionism， jointly preserve the rules-based multilateral trade order， and keep the global economy on a sound and sustainable track. This is a joint responsibility of China and the EU. We must act together to make that happen.”

China， Austria Agree to Establish Friendly Strategic Partnership

Chinese President Xi Jinping and visiting Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen agreed on April 8 to establish a SinoAustrian friendly strategic partnership and advance bilateral pragmatic cooperation. Van der Bellen headed a large delegation in his state visit to China， including Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz， four cabinet ministers， and members of the business community.

Calling Austria an important cooperative partner of China in Europe， Xi said the new Austrian government has written into its working program the contents of enhancing relations with China as well as the Belt and Road Initiative. He expressed appreciation for that. Van der Bellen said Austria is committed to strengthening cooperation with China in areas such as trade， investment， scientific research， environmental protection， clean energy， culture， and sports. As Austria prepares to take over the rotating presidency of the EU in July this year， Van der Bellen said the country expects to play a positive role in EU-China cooperation.

After their talks， the two presidents witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation agreements， ranging from the areas of Belt and Road cooperation， judiciary， innovation， transportation and modern distribution， to culture， sports， and intellectual property rights.

China， Netherlands to Expand Cooperation

China and the Netherlands agreed on April 12 to make use of their advantages of complementarities to promote pragmatic cooperation. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang made the remarks while holding talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Beijing. Regarding the Netherlands as an important partner in the EU， the relations between China and the Netherlands have a sound momentum of development， Li said.

The two countries established a comprehensive partnership that stresses openness and pragmatism in 2014， Li said， expressing that China is willing to work with the Netherlands to strengthen high-level visits and expand cooperation in various areas. Li said China is willing to import more high-quality agricultural products and high-tech products from the Netherlands， noting that China welcomes more companies and investment from the Netherlands. Li also expressed his hope that the Netherlands will actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative to benefit the two countries and peoples.

Rutte said the current bilateral ties are developing at a high level， and the Netherlands is willing to work with China to strengthen strategic communication and dialogue， and deepen pragmatic cooperation. The Netherlands firmly supports free trade and opposes protectionism， Rutte said， noting that his country is ready to promote the synergy of development strategies with China.